Centre wallon de Recherches agronomiques (CRA-W)

The Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (CRA-W) is a public research centre since more than a century.

The Agricultural Engineering Department, within the CRA-W, proposes two areas of special expertises: on the one hand, agricultural mechanisation and building (soil-machine-tractor interactions, application of plant protection products, fertilizers, field crops, animal husbandry, economics of mechanisation) and, on the other hand, the use of biomass for energy and industry (resources surveys, collection, processing, energy, industry).

The Department’s research and development work is conducted in accordance with scientific and technical procedures guaranteeing the quality and objectivity of the results. Such procedures comply with quality standards or directives (ISO 17025, ISO 9001, Good Experimental Practice) or follow a recognised scientific approach.

The Department’s mission is through its research work to serve society by meeting society’s expectations and future needs. First of all, this means that the staff of the Department must be in touch with society and social players, must understand these expectations and needs and, through its research and development activities, must play a part in fulfilling them. Various methods are used: meetings with farmers, entrepreneurs, professional associations and the authorities; analysis of political priorities; monitoring technological development (Internet, conferences, workshops, and so forth). Next, it has to be ensured that society effectively benefits from the results of the Department’s research and development work, in the short term, medium term (applied research) and long term (fundamental research). Lastly, Department staff may be asked to provide advice and information or training at the request of other institutions, businesses or public-sector organisations. In this context, the Department is actively involved in scientific and technical expert networks at regional, national and international level.

Work in connection with the use of biomass focuses on three topics:economic and environmental optimisation of the supply, conditioning and conversion into energy of solid biofuels;

analysis and implementation of biomass chains for energy and industry;

biorefineries.In January 2002, an industrial size grate boiler (550 kW) with a water cooling system was installed in the Department. This high-performance research device has made it possible to start research on the combustion of farming and food industry residues (co-combustion wood panels / manure, cocoa shells, high density panels, etc). Thanks to gas analysis devices and ash analysis, the effect on the environment, as well as conformity with emissions standards can be supervised.

The Department has carried out for decades user-oriented applied research and development activities as well as in countries on the way to industrialising (Asia, Eastern Europe) and developing countries (Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean).

The Department is commonly involved in European projects (Intelligent Energy Europe, FP6, etc).

Two PhD studies are currently related to sustainability criteria. The first one is focusing on the implementation of a certification system for liquid biofuels, based on environmental and socio-economic criteria. The other one is more oriented to sustainability criteria for the production of solid biofuels in a context of supply logistics to power plant using huge amount of solid biomass.





The Department is Alternate National Task Leader for IEA Bioenergy Task 40.

For more information, see also:

http://cra.wallonie.be/
Didier MARCHAL
Centre wallon de Recherches agronomiques - Departement Genie rural
Agricultural Research Centre - Agricultural Engineering Department
Chaussee de Namur, 146
B-5030 Gembloux (Belgique / Belgium)
Tel : +32 (0) 81 627 144
Fax : +32 (0) 81 615 847
Courriel / E-Mail : marchal@cra.wallonie.be